Woman found dead in freezer, man shoots himself with RPD at the door

The Ridgecrest Police Department is investigating two bizarre deaths, including one suicide and an elderly woman stored in a freezer.

By John V. Cianijciani@ridgecrestca.com

The Ridgecrest Police Department is investigating two bizarre deaths, including one suicide and an elderly woman stored in a freezer.RPD Chief Ron Strand said it took a few days for the department to even begin to comprehend the strange series of events that resulted in two dead people."We didn't release anything at first, because we didn't know what we had," he said. "It's still pretty sensitive."Strand was reluctant to even call the woman's death a homicide because the coroner's report hasn't conclusively deturmined the cause of death.Asked how the woman ended up in a freezer, Strand said the woman may have passed away six or seven years ago and was placed in it."We're not sure," he said. "It's still under investigation."What started out with just checking on the well-being of an elderly woman ended with her being found in a freezer after the man who was reportedly her care giver shot himself while officers waited at the door.He said officers were sent to do a welfare check Nov. 8 on a 94-year-old woman in the 900 of East California Avenue."We went out there in the evening but didn't make any contact," he said. Strand said officers returned at approximately 2 a.m. and contacted 53-year-old James Burke, who was reportedly the woman's caretaker."While they were there, they engaged in a conversation. The guy said the woman was at the house, and he needed to put on his pants to let the officers in," he said. "A short time later, the officers heard a gunshot. They entered the residence and found that the 53-year-old man committed suicide."He said the officers searched the residence and found the woman in the freezer."The crime lab came out. We obviously investigated it as suspicious," said Strand. "An autopsy was performed, and the cause of death is still pending. We're not thinking, offhand, that she was the victim of a homicide. There was nothing apparent at the autopsy. The Coroner's office has to complete its full investigation to determine the cause of death. The motive is unclear, but she was still receiving her Social Security benefits."